Loertscher



March 22, 1955 A. LERTSCHER 2,704,607

ROPE: RAILWAY Filed July 7, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 2r Vlr 91931 :106 1/07 1 3 2 a2 107 2 6460 a3 66 676/ INVENTR E-i Q E Albert af/zscf/f/e 8 Y A TTORNEYJ March 22, 1955 A. LERTSCHER 2,704,607

ROPE RAILWAY Filed .July 7, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 2 AlbenL GERT CHER ATTORNEYS United States Patent O ROPE RAILWAY Albert Lertscher, Winklen, near Frutigen, Switzerland Application July 7, 1950, Serial No. 172,501

6 Claims. (Cl. 212-102) The present invention relates to a rope railway comprising a traveller or carriage provided with a loading platform, and means operable from a remote control station for moving the traveller for stopping the same at any point along the carrier rope and for elevating and lowering the loading platform at that point.

More particularly the rope railway, according to the invention comprises a carrier rope on which is displaceable a traveller which is hauled by an endless draft rope driven by suitable power means at a control station. Moreover, the rope railway according to the invention, comprises positioning devices which are also displaceable along the carrier rope by the traveller, and which by proper operation of the traveller from the remote control station, may be clamped fast on the carrier rope at any point thereof.

Means are also provided whereby operation of the draft rope from said station when the traveller is coupled to the clamped positioning device, will elevate or lower the loading platform.

I have illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the carriage coupled with the positioning device on the carrier rope.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on a larger scale of the positioning device taken along line II-II of Figure l.

Figure 3 shows in elevation a lever carried at one end of the traveller in one position with respect to the coupling means of the positioning device, shown in crosssection.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the lever in another position.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic showing of the means for guiding the draft rope.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail views of two positions of ghe rack coupling means on the traveller and positioning ev1ce.

Figure 8 is a cross-section at the end of the lever shown in Figures 3 and 4 and taken along line VIII- VIII of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the manually operable device for clamping the positioning device fast on the carrier rope.

Figure l is an elevation of the end of the clamping lever of the positioning device.

Figure 11 is a cross-section taken along line Xl-XI of Figure 1, of the means for preventing the traveller from jumping ofE the carrier rope, and;

Figure 12 is a general diagrammatic elevation of a rope railway according to the invention.

A traveller A suspended through two pairs of rollers 1, 2 to the carrier rope 3 is caused to move over the endless control draft rope 4 through the movement of the latter. Inside the carriage or traveller A are positioned in a freely revoluble manner two Winch drums and 6 the shafts of which are illustrated at 7 and 8. To each of the shafts 7 and 8 is secured a pulley 9 or 10 provided with a double groove, said pulleys 9 and 10 rotate in unison with the corresponding winch drums 5 and 6. The draft rope, fed by a driving pulley S at a control station 103 (Fig. l2), is led to the pulley 10 over a roller 12 carried by the frame of the traveller, freely revoluble thereon and adapted to make the rope engage the underside of the other pulley 9 under tensional conditions after which the rope engaging over the pulley 10 through an angle of 180 returns towards the rope pulley 9. The draft rope 4 also engages the pulley 9 over 180 and then returns again to the pulley 10 and engages the latter through its lower edge and passes over a further roller 13 acting in the same manner as the roller 12, the rope being led nally from said roller ice 13 out of the carriage onto a pulley provided in the opposite station 104 (Fig. 12), and from whence it returns freely to the driving pulley 108 at the rst control station.

On each winch drum 5 or 6 is wound a cable 15 or 16 the length of which is selected according to requirements. These cables 15 and 16 are secured at one of their ends to the corresponding winch drum 5 or 6 while their free ends are fed over a corresponding roller 17 or 18 revolubly carried by the frame of the traveller and adapted to further a regular winding of the cable, said cables being then led to another transmission roller 19 or 20 lying in the plane of the carrier rope and also carried revolubly by the frame of the traveller. From said roller 19 or 20, the cable considered moves over a loose roller 22-23 back towards the frame of the traveller to which it is secured through a thimble 24 or 25. Said rollers 22 and 23 are revolubly secured to loading platform constituted e. g. by a double rail 21.

The bolts 26, 27 secured to the traveller frame serve as pivots for the levers 28 and 29 carrying two positioning hooks 34a and 34 respectively and connected with one another through two crossed connecting rods 31 pivotally connected to said levers at the points 30 of the latter. Each of said levers 28, 29 is provided along its lower surface with a projection or pawl 54 that is intended to engage a ratchet wheel 32 as more readily apparent from inspection of Figs. 3 and 4, the ratchet wheel 32, corresponding to each positioning hook, being secured to the corresponding winch drum for rotation round the shafts 7 and 8. The positioning hook 34a is integral with the lever 28 while the positioning hook 34 forms a forked lever pivoted at the free end of the lever 29 and carries between its forked ends spring-urged balls 35 in a manner such that the latter may be urged to either side of the lateral surfaces of the positioning hook lever 29 between said forked ends. Each of said lateral surfaces is provided in the path travelled over by the balls while the forked lever is rocked, with two pairs opposite cupshaped recesses 35a and 35b adapted to engage the balls whereby the lever 29 is clamped in either of its extreme angular positions. ln the traveller frame are also located two vertically slidable control rods 48, 49 provided at an adjustable height thereof, with straps 50 or 51 extending to either side of the location of the positioning hooked lever 28 or 29. The lower ends of said control rods are provided with a foot through which they rest on the upper surface of the raised double rails 21 (Fig. l) forming the suspension means for the load.

For holding the traveller fast at the loading and unloading stations, there are provided two similar positioning apparatuses B and C (see Figure 12), that are shiftable throughout the length of the carrier rope 3 and of which one is illustrated in Figs. l and 2. This positioning apparatus is provided with two rollers 60, 61 engaging the carrier rope 3 and mounted in the upper part of a casing 62. ln order to releasably secure the positioning apparatus to the carrier rope 3, it is possible to resort to two jawcarrying plates, 63 and 64, arranged vertically above said carrier rope and rockably carried by a common pivot supported longitudinally in the casing 62. A shaft 65 carried in the two side walls of the casing 62, passes transversally through said plates, perpendicularly to the carrier rope 3 and carries at one end a control wheel 67 provided with four radial projections 66. Between the two above mentioned casing walls and on the side opposed to the control wheel 67, the shaft 65 carries a gear wheel 80 engaging a rack 81 slidably carried by the positioning apparatus. The shaft 65 is further provided between one of the walls of the casing and the pinion 80 with two projections 68, 69 bearing against the latter members and arranged symmetrically, said projections screwed over the shaft 65 acting as eccentrics against the action of the compression spring 70 fitted between the two clamping plates 63, 64 so as to bear through their free ends against said plates 63, 64. According to the spacing between the points of contact of the projections 68, 69 with the clamping plates 63, 64, said plates 63 and 64 will open or close to a corresponding extent, as seen from the common pvoting point provided for said plates. When closed, the jaws on the plates 63, 64 provide for a sufcient clamping of the carrier rope 3 whereby the positioning apparatus is secured to the said carrier rope without any possibility of shifting over same. ln the open position of the clamping plates 63, 64, the positioning apparatus is allowed to slide through the agency of its rollers 60, 61 on the carrier rope 3 under the control of the traveller for instance. lt is necessary to make the shaft 65 rotate when it is desired to control the projections 68 and 69, which may be obtained either through a sliding movement given to the rack 81 or through direct hand control as provided through the engagement of a tubular member 105 (Fig. 9), having a comparatively large lever arm for engagement with one of the projections 66 on the handwheel 67 so as to rotate the latter. The upper part of the positioning apparatus carries a lever 82 projecting out of said positioning apparatus and directed towards the traveller, the lever 82 being pivoted on a shaft 83 journalled in the positioning apparatus. Said lever 82 is provided with a downwardly directed arm 84 that is perpendicular to the body of the lever 82, the lower end of said arm being forked aringly (Fig. l) in a manner such that when the lever 82 is lowered, the fork on said arm clamps the carrier cable 3 under the action of the weight of the lever.

A rope pulley 71 carried in a freely revoluble manner by the lower part of the casing 62 of the positioning apparatus serves, as already mentioned, for carrying the strand of the control rope 4 trained on pulleys 9 and 10. The lower end of said casing 62 is also provided, between its two walls and in the direction facing the traveller, with a guiding member 72 having a curvilinear guiding surface 45 and at a distance underneath the latter, with a second guiding member 73 having a guiding surface 46 and a retaining surface 46a (Figs. 3 and 4). These guiding members 72 and 73 form together the means for engaging the pivotable positioning hook 34 or again the positioning hook 34a integral with lever 28.

l'n order to prevent the traveller from rising or sinking with reference to the carrier rope 3 while the Winches are being operated, i. e. when the coupling with the positioning apparatus is complete, the traveller is provided for each of its pairs of rollers 1 or 2 with a safety arrangement, engaging the carrier rope after the manner of tongs in its closed position. Said arrangement corresponds, as far as its structure and operation are concerned, to the securing means of the positioning apparatus including the elements 63 to 65, 68 to 70 and 80; however, it shows instead of the jaws engaging the carrier rope 3, a hook member 106 (Fig. 1l) adapted to surround the rope 3 in its closed position without clamping it. The control of this safety arrangement is provided in a manner similar to that of the pinion 80 through toothed sectors 85 and 86 that are driven in their turn through the agency of the racks 88 or 89 which latter are constrained to slide longitudinally in opposite directions by a pinion 87 meshing with both racks.

The ends of the racks 88 and 89 directed towards the corresponding positioning apparatus assume a round cross-section and are provided each with an axial bore 90 for the introduction of a complementary insert member 91 which latter is provided with two flat projections 92 (Fig. 6) lying in diametrically opposed relationship. It is possible to secure the complementary member 91 revolubly mounted inside the bore 90 in two positions at 90 from one another, through the agency of a pin 93. The end of the rack 81 in the positioning apparatus facing the traveller is provided with two yielding arms 94 (Fig. 7) provided each with a projection 95 adapted to engage the insert member 91 to the rear of the projections 92. The racks 81, 88 and 89 are provided along their sliding surfaces with notches 96, 97 and 98 adapted to engage spring-urged pins 99, 100 and 101, respectively, for holding them fast. The notches are located with reference to the position of the pins in a manner such that the latter may engage the notches when the safety arrangements preventing the traveller from running olf the carrier rope 3 and, if necessary. the securing means in the positioning apparatus are in their open positions.

I will now disclose the operation of the above described rope railway. As a starting position, it will be supposed that the pins 99, 100 and 101 are in engagement with the corresponding notches 96, 97 and 98 and the lirst positioning apparatus C (Figure l2) has been secured by hand in the manner described to the carrier rope 3 over the unloading position. The second positioning apparatus B should then be moved with the traveller towards the loading position and be secured at the latter station. For this purpose, the last mentioned positioning apparatus which is that illustrated in Fig. 1 is located in front of the traveller in a manner such that the member 91 fitted in the rack 89 rests, as illustrated in Fig. 7, with its front end in contact with the rack 81 on the positioning apparatus, while the projections on the arms 94 are inoperative. The lever 82 rests on a slope 107 of the traveller, whereby the clamping arm 84 remains also inoperative.

The operator at the control station 103 produces a movement of the driving pulley 108 in either desired direction in a manner such that the strand of the control cable 4 leading from the traveller to the opposite station is drawn towards the latter whereby the traveller is caused to move in the desired direction together with the positioning apparatus B. The drums 5 and 6 will not rotate when the traveller is moving to the right because the loading platform 21 is in its upper limit position abutting against the rods 49 and therefore, the cables 15 and 16 prevent the said drums from rotating.

The traveller is braked in its movement by the operator when it reaches the loading station, whereby the positioning apparatus by reason of its inertia separates from the traveller and runs in front of the latter. As soon the lever 82 has moved off the slope 107, that is provided on the traveller, so as to constrain said lever to move in an anticlock-wise direction round the shaft 83, the clamping arm 84 on said lever becomes operative and engages through its end the carrier rope 3 so as to transiently clamp the positioning apparatus on said rope. As soon as the traveller has been actually braked, the operator provides an acceleration for the latter so as to make the traveller impinge with some energy against the stationary positioning apparatus. This causes the insert member 91 on the rack 89 to engage through its front surface the rack 81 in the positioning apparatus. The power of the springs operating on the pins 99, and 101, is reckoned in a manner such that they prevent any longitudinal movement of the racks 81, 8S and 89 during the movements of the positioning apparatus, while it is no longer operative for large stresses, chiey in the case of shocks and the like. Consequently, the racks 81` 88 and 89 will be urged into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 whereby the racks 88 and 89 produce a rotary movement of the toothed segments 85 and 86 and operate the safety means on the traveller. The rack 81 makes the wheel 80 revolve and controls the clamping means in the positioning apparatus. Just before the end of said movements. the nose on the hook 34 slides while the positioning hook 29 is raised, said movement of the lever 34 over the guiding surface 46. that disengages the ratchet wheel 32, continuing until the hook at its lower end engages the bearing surface 46a so as to ensure the coupling of the traveller with the positioning apparatus. The reliable engagement of the end of the positioning hook with the member adapted to engage it on the positioning apparatus is ensured by the tensioning of the control rope 4 lving rectilinearlv over the rollers 13 and 71. The position of the traveller is ascertained by the operator through the increased tensioning of the cable or through the stopping of the driving pulley 108 at the control station 103. By a reversal in the direction of rotation of said control pulley. and consequently through a modification in the direction of drawing of the control rope 4, the winch drums 5 and 6 are caused to rotate in a clockwise direction wherebv the cables 15 and 16 are reeled off so as to produce a lowering of the load carrying system 21. By reason of this lowering, the control rods 48 and 49 move also downwardly and provide through application of their weight. for a rotarv movement of the positioning levers 28. 29 that are shifted downwardlv. Thus the lever 29 rocks with reference to the hook 34 in a manner such that the balls 35 securing the two members together engage the upper depressions 35h provided for them. Tn this latter position. illustrated in Fie. 4, the pawl 54 does not yet engage the ratchet wheel 32 and is consequently inoperative. When the loading level is reached. as may be ascertained by the operator throu gh the telephone or through suitable signalling means, and the load is secured to the loading platform 21. the direction of rotation of the driving pullev 108 is again modied. The loading platform 21 and the load carried thereby are now lifted bv reason of the traveller being still coupled with the positioning apparatus, the lifting being provided through the winding 0f the ropes 15 and 16 until the upper surface of the loading platform 21 has raised the control rods 48 and 49 and thereby lifted also the positioning levers 28 and 29. This movement of the lever 29 is followed by the nose of the hook 34 so that it is released with reference to the bearing surface 46a and provides for the complete uncoupling of the traveller with reference to the positioning apparatus.

A blade spring 102 secured to the upper part of the rack 81 lies, when the traveller engages the positioning apparatus, with its downwardly directed free end engaging the rear of the upwardly directed nose on the insert member 91 in the rack 89; this spring acts, when the operator has again modied the direction of rotation of the driving pulley 108 and thereby the direction of operation of the control rope 4, so as to provide for a slight shifting of the racks 88, 89 with reference to the traveller in order to open the safety means on the traveller moving towards the unloading station, without, however, shifting the rack 81. When moving away from the positioning apparatus, the nose end of the lever 34 engages through its upper ,surface the guiding surface and is rocked downwardly by reason of the fact that the corresponding positioning lever 29 is held down by the strap 51 on the rod 49 and consequently the balls 35 urge again the hook 34 back into its lower extreme position. The coupling and subsequent release of the traveller with reference to the positioning apparatus over the unloading station are, of course, performed in a similar manner, however, without the hook 34 on the positioning lever 29 being operative.

In order to prevent any undesired lowering of the load with reference to the traveller, the pawls 54 on the levers 28 and 29 engage, after a small lowering of the double rail 21, the ratchet wheels 32 to prevent any further rotation of the latter without, however, preventing their backward rotation.

If the positioning apparatus B is to be secured at another point, insert member 91 is angularly shifted by 90 before the last travel with reference to its prior position and it is then secured again by means of the pin 93. The position assumed by the above mentioned insert member is illustrated in Fig. 6. The coupling of the traveller and the suspension of the load are performed in the same manner as already described. When the coupling with the positioning apparatus has been executed, the arms 94 have engaged through their projections 95, the rear surfaces of the projections 92 on the insert member 91, and these arms provide, after the release operated by the elements 19 and 34, for an opening of the safety means on the traveller through a shifting of the racks 88-89 while the traveller moves away from the positioning apparatus. Finally, the rack 81 in the positioning apparatus is urged along with the moving traveller, whereby the securing means are released; the positioning apparatus moves then together with the traveller. In order to secure the traveller to successive points of the carrier rope 3, it is necessary to retain this position of the insert member; the positioning apparatus will then move constantly with the traveller. The diiferent coupling and securing movements of the various parts remain thus unaltered, as well as the movements leading to a release and uncoupling of the securing means. Before the positioning apparatus may be secured in its new selected position for a plurality of movements of the traveller, at this position, it is necessary for the insert member 91 that is now engaged by the parts 94 and 95, to be again angularly shifted through 90 and to be held fast in its new angular position.

What I claim is:

l. In a rope railway the combination of a carrier rope, a traveller adapted to move over the same, a pair of spaced pulleys revolubly carried by the traveller, a draft rope trained over said pulleys and the operation of which in either direction is adapted to shift the traveller over the carrier rope when said pulleys are blocked, means to releasably block the pulleys, a winch drum rigid with each of said pulleys, cables vwound over said winch drums, a loading platform supported by said cables, means for stopping the traveller on the carrier rope at any point thereof to cause the drawing of the draft rope in either direction to produce winding or unwinding of the cables, said stopping means comprising a positioning device shiftably carried by the carrier rope and displaceable along said carrier rope by said traveller, a guide member carried by said positioning device, a lever on the traveller adapted to snap into engagement with said guide member upon impact of the traveller against the positioning device, means carried by said positioning device and adapted to normally clamp the latter to the carrier rope, means for releasing said last mentioned means upon engagement of the positioning device by the traveller, further clamping means carried by the positioning device adapted to releasably engage the carrier rope and means whereby the impact of the traveller against said positioning device controls the operation of the last mentioned clamping means.

2. In a rope railway as claimed in claim 1, said further clamping means including jaws pivotally secured to the positioning device and adapted to clamp between them the carrier rope to hold the positioning device clamped over any desired point of the carrier rope, and hand operable means on the positioning device for controlling the position of said jaws.

3. In a rope railway as claimed in claim l, a hook pivotally secured to the outer end of said lever and adapted to assume selectively two angular positions in a vertical plane in reference to said lever and to engage the guiding member on said positioning device, means carried by the traveller and adapted to depress the lever upon 1owering of the loading platform and to provide thereby an angular movement of said lever with reference to the hook and to move bodily upwards said lever and hook upon subsequent rising of the loading platform.

4. In a rope railway as claimed in claim l, a pawl carried by said lever, a ratchet wheel rigid with said winch drum, said pawl engageable with said ratchet wheel when said lever is not in engagement with said guide member in order to prevent rotation of said winch drum in a direction to lower said loading platform.

5. In a rope railway as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means carried by the positioning device adapted to normally clamp the latter to the carrier rope, comprises a lever pivotally secured to the positioning device and projecting from one end thereof, a side arm secured to said lever and having a forked end adapted to engage said carrier rope and an inclined plate on said traveller adapted to engage said lever and to displace the same upwardly and disengage said forked end from said carrier rope.

6. In a rope railway, the combination of a carrier rope, a traveller adapted to move over the same, two pulleys revolubly carried by the traveller to rotate in a plane parallel to the direction of motion of the traveller over the carrier rope, a draft rope trained over said pulleys and the displacement of which in either direction is adapted to shift the traveller over the carrier rope when said pulleys are blocked, winch drums rigid with said pulleys, hoisting cables wound over said winch drums, a loading platform supported by said hoisting cables, means for stopping the traveller on the carrier rope at any point thereof to cause the drawing of the draft rope in either direction to produce winding or unwinding of the hoisting cables, said stopping means comprising a positioning device shiftably carried by the carrier rope and movable by the traveller, a guiding member on said positioning device on the side facing the traveller, a lever pivotally mounted on the traveller, a hook pivoted at the free end of said lever and adapted to snap into engagement with said guiding member upon impact of the traveller against the positioning device, means carried by the positioning device to normally clamp the latter to the carrier rope, means for releasing said clamping means upon engagement of the positioning device by the traveller, further clamping means carried by the positioning device adapted to releasably engage the carrier rope, safey means on said traveller comprising hooks adapted to surround said carrier rope without clamping the same in order to prevent said traveller from jumping off said carrier rope, and disconnectable means releasably engaging the traveller safety means and the last mentioned clamping means of the positioning device and adapted upon impact of the traveller against said positioning device to cause the traveller safety means to take their operative carrier rope surrounding position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,725 Waddell May 25, 1915 1,343,434 Cook June 15, 1920 1,504,753 Guerin Aug. 12, 1924 2,168,393 Booth Aug. 8, 1939 

